Sarah?

Sarah?!

He felt something wet roll down his wrinkled cheek as his eyes sprang open. It felt like someone was pushing on his chest from the inside out as if reverse CPR somehow just awoke him out of some coma. He heard a rasp voice call out the name of his beloved again "Sarah?" The baritone vibration of his vocal chords agitated the phlegm at the back of his throat, which sent his chest into tight convulsions, each bone rattling as he wheezed and hacked trying to regain his breath. "Where am I?" He thought as his dim blurry eyes looked around the room.

The air in the room was suffocatingly warm and dusty which exasperated his dry cough as he sat up on the bed. "Thank God for small mercies," as he noticed a pink pitcher with water and an empty glass next to it. He reached to pick up the container only to realize his hands trembled and that his fingers seemed too stiff to grip it. He managed to slide his hand between the handle and container and use his forearm as a cantilever to lift the jug. Pouring the water into the cup was now the next challenge. "Damn it!" he muttered when the water spilled everywhere. He brushed off his pants and brought the cup to his mouth.

He heard a happy jingle tune played over the sound of a ticking time clock and looked across the room to the TV screen. Jeopardy was on. He sat quietly watching the contestants scribble their answers. When Alex appeared on screen, he instinctually looked over his left expecting to hear his wife shout out her answer. But she wasn't there. "Maybe she's cooking something." The aroma of garlic bread and spaghetti wafted from the hallway into his room. It smelled familiar but it wasn't Sarah's. "Are we having company?" He looked down, slid his slippers on, and then rocked himself up on to his feet. Every bone in his ankles and knees popped and he couldn't remember the last time he felt so stiff. He lost his initial balance and his bum flopped back onto the bed. "I'll try that again," as he reached for the headboard to support himself. Now upright he shuffled out the bedroom down the hallway.

"This has to be some kind of hotel or something." Sand colored walls were decorated with an occasional wreath or seasons greetings taped on the doors. The wide hallway ran in both directions. Toward his left he noticed what must have been a receptionists desk and he thought he might have luck finding the lobby that way. The smell of spaghetti now interspersed with decaf coffee and french fries floated in the air. "I must be near the dining room." The signs in the hallway were a little too blurry for him to make out and he realized he forgot to put on his glasses. He walked up to the counter hoping to find a receptionist or at least a call button, but the desk was empty besides some files and a phone.

A door behind him creaked open. A silver-haired woman pulled her wheelchair forward with her two feet and one good arm. The old man shuffled over to her to find out if she could tell him where the receptionist was. "Hello young lady, do you happen to know where the receptionist is?" She looked up at him blankly as her grey blue irises locked with his. He thought to himself, "Nobody home." She blabbered some incoherent moans and scooted off towards the cafeteria.

He decided to follow her but kept his distance as he didn't want to frighten the poor thing. The air somehow managed to get stuffier. He felt his heart begin to race a little bit as he heard more voices and the sounds of dishes clanking as they got closer to the dining room. He didn't feel in danger; this place just seemed so unfamiliar and he wasn't sure whom he would find when he got there. The lady in the wheelchair bumped her good hand against a large metal push button and two heavy brown metal doors swung towards them opening into the cafeteria.

To his left sat a small group watching Jeopardy on the TV mantle above the fireplace. Tables were interspersed with individuals and couples being attended to by vigorous but tired looking women in green and purple scrubs. The young man in blue scrubs working the serving line had a nice smile which glistened white when he greeted the individuals who walked up. He seemed like the only friendly one in there. One of the young women came up to the old man and asked, "Are you hungry, Abe?". This clearly disturbed the old man. "Okay, where am I really?" he thought to himself. "How do you know my name?" he asked, getting a little agitated. "I can never forget you, Abe. You are one of the kindest people I have known here." That soothed him but only very slightly. "Where's Sarah?" "She said she would be here sometime this afternoon. Would you like some food while you wait?" she replied calmly. "No thank you, I'll just wait for her over here." He walked over to a table nearby and the nurse returned to her duties with the other patients.

He sat like a sentry for 20 min, but as his eyes grew heavy and his back began to ache in the hard metal fold up chair he decided to retire to a more comfortable armchair closer to the fireplace. An episode of Jeopardy followed by Wheel of Fortune passed and his head sunk into his chest until he finally succumbed to his drowsiness. A little later he felt a warm soft hand placed on his and heard a gentle voice speak to him. "Sarah!?" He awoke only to find a beautiful young woman and her mother sitting by him. He noticed their eyes glistened a little bit and the older of the two looked away and wiped her nose with a tissue. "Yes, I am Sara, but not the one you are looking for." A heavy lump filled in throat and he struggled to swallow. His eyes welled up and as he gazed at the girl her eyes began to tear too. His heart sank but he knew where he was now.

He finally managed to swallow and, after clearing his throat, he laid his old hands on top of the woman's hands which they each had placed on his knees. Both hands were soft and delicate just like he remembered, when they were not even half the size they were now and could fit in the palm of his hand. He held them there for a long moment, just enjoying the sensation of loving touch. He looked at the older of the two and felt his heart pause. What he was about to say he realized he couldn't. So he said it in his heart: "I'm so sorry, I love you my girl, but I can't remember your name. Please forgive me." The pain flashed across his face but he mustered a smile and grabbed her forehead to give it a kiss. He then reached over to the younger woman's hands and stared directly into her eyes. "Sara, I am so delighted to see you."

They chatted about the news. The college she was soon to graduate from, her boyfriend who just became her fiance, her dreams of traveling, and if she want to start her own family someday. An hour passed by in seconds and the old man knew it was time to rest. He asked them to escort him to his bed.

It was a long walk down that hall. An old man escorted by two strangers now; he couldn't understand why they were crying. He didn't know where he was or where he was going or why. It was getting dim now and quiet. Time just felt like it caught up to him and it was time to sleep. They fluffed his pillow, laid him in his bed and helped him put his feet up. "I'm cold," he whispered and the older of the woman placed a blanket over him. The younger kissed him on the cheek. He closed his eyes and something wet rolled down his cheek. The room was dark.

"Sarah?!" He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, only to

find the love of his life smiling back at him.